That Four Letter Word!

I’m not talking about the four letter word you think I’m talking about. I’m talking about the word KIND. I am a firm believer that there is far more kindness going on in the world than not, but I also feel it’s important to showcase it, keep it in the forefront of our minds and also being reminded of what kindness means.

Last year I started an I Choose Kindness campaign to shine the light on kindness and continue to spread more of it. I asked people to send me selfies with a sign that said ‘I Choose Kindness’ and email them to me to post on Positive Focus’ Facebook page. I started receiving pictures from people and many of them declared they ‘always’ choose kindness. I loved receiving those pictures and still do and yet it still got me wondering if the ‘always’ choosing kindness was true. I know personally that I don’t ‘always’ choose kindness. Often my unkind thoughts, words or actions are directed at myself for a myriad of things from typos/grammar mistakes on writing, to I ‘have to’, ‘need to’, or ‘should do’ something that I’ve put off, to far too many things to write about. Although I rarely act out unkindness, I can certainly have unkind thoughts about people who are acting out of fear on a global scale all the way to people who have personally been unkind to me. Even with the work that I do and knowing that love is what heals wounds, celebrates victories and simply makes life magical, I still step right into a puddle of fear from time to time. So I ask you to ask yourself, do you choose kindness? And rather than saying always, check in and see if that is true. I personally don’t think it’s possible to be kind all the time, but it certainly is possible to be kind the majority of the time and be forgiving when you step into you own puddle of fear.

Moving forward, I encourage you to choose kindness by:

Paying attention to how you feel. Our feelings are great gauges to how we are speaking and acting. It’s absolutely okay to feel sad/mad/frustrated/disappointed and by knowing how you feel, you can reach for a better feeling thought. By being aware of your feelings you can determine if they are empowering or not and then make adjustments as desired.

Not being unkind to the unkind. It’s easy to be kind to those we agree with, love and admire, but how about those that are not aligned to our morals, our values, or our way of thinking? Those are the people, and seemingly rightfully so, that we can jump into judgment and be equally or almost as unkind. Being kind doesn’t mean you condone fearful behavior, but it does mean you choose not to add more energy to it.

Being gentle with yourself. I’m quite sure everyone reading this is hardest on themselves than others. You’ve heard me say it before, hurt people hurt others. People full of love for themselves are able to love others easier. So fill yourself up with gentleness, compassion, forgiveness and love knowing you are doing the best you can in each moment.

Mostly, I wish that you would remember, whether you are using a four-letter, seven-letter or however big your word is, that you choose words that will uplift yourself and others. That you will choose thoughts, words and actions that bring smiles to people and that you simply know that true strength comes in a very kind package.

Until next time, carry on you kind person you.

Affirmation:

I choose love, compassion and kindness to lead me through the day.

Words to Live By:

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ~ Leo Buscaglia

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” ~ Dalai Lama
“A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.” ~ Washington Irving